4-18-2024 9:49am

Class of 2024 honored during girls' lacrosse victory against Ridge High School

Donnella Tilery Editor

The Bridgewater-Raritan High School girls' lacrosse team, ranked No. 18 in the state, honored its four graduating Class of 2024 seniors with a key rivalry victory on Tuesday, April 16, at John Basilone Memorial Field in Bridgewater.

On their Senior Night, players Cailin Filep and Angela Xenakis along with team statisticians
Ashley Bonastia and Reese Minich were recognized during a pregame ceremony, and then the
Panthers extended their undefeated start in Skyland Conference play against Ridge High School.

And throughout a Senior Night that saw Bridgewater-Raritan tally its highest goal count
of the season while also allowing its fewest goals of the year, Bonastia and Minich personally
recorded goals in the scorebook from both of their senior teammates to cap off the Panthers’ best performance of the year so far.

Five of what ended up being seven different goal scorers for Bridgewater-Raritan (5-1, 5-0)
collected multiple goals, including a game-high six goals from junior Emma Ciocon and four
more from classmate Ella Daehnke. Sophomore Giada Catanzaro (two goals, seven assists) also dished seven assists to tie a career-high, and the Panthers punctuated a big 19-4 victory over Ridge (0-5, 0-3) with a shutout over the final 28:30 of regulation.

“They’ve been an integral part of our program for the last four years, “ praised Bridgewater-
Raritan coach Kathie DeBonis about the Class of 2024 seniors. “[Angela and Cailin] were both on the team as freshmen, and they’ve just grown with the program. They know what it is, and they helped to cultivate the climate and culture of the team here. They’re great leaders not just on the field, but off the field. The two of them organized all of the preseason stuff, so they did a lot of things more so than even just on the field. We’ve been very blessed to have them, and they did a wonderful job tonight as well as our two scorekeepers [Ashley and Reese], who are seniors. They’ve also been with the program for four years. Everybody has a
role, and we couldn’t be where we are without them.”

On top of this, Xenakis collected two goals and two assists Tuesday evening, and Filep fittingly
scored the Panthers’ final goal with 3:25 remaining to put both of Bridgewater-Raritan's senior players into the scorebook.

Bridgewater-Raritan (5-1, 5-0) will try to remain undefeated in Skyland Conference play next at Watchung Hills Regional High School (2-4, 0-3) on Thursday, April 18, at 4:30 p.m. in Warren.

The Panthers will then travel to fifth-ranked Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (6-2) on Saturday, April 20, at 10 a.m. before returning home against Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart on Monday, April 22, at 4:30 p.m. in Bridgewater.

Bridgewater-Raritan will then have a crucial Skyland Conference showdown at home against Pingry School (5-2, 5-0) at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 25 in both teams’ first meeting since Pingry knocked off the Panthers, 13-3, in the Somerset County Tournament final last year.

Bridgewater-Raritan had defeated then No. 1 Pingry at home during the 2023 regular season, 8-6, before falling in the county championship rematch.

“I think that we really brought the intensity,“ concluded Ciocon of her team’s Senior Night
performance. “We really showed that if we come out hard, we can get that win. We just have to
want it.”